Large-Scale Industrial Positioning and Location Tracking - Are We There Yet

The tracking of objects and humans has recently received a lot of attention as a tool to improve business processes, occupational safety and public safety. Employers and legislators are extremely interested in improving occupational safety as numerous internal executive decrees as well as safety laws suggest. Nevertheless, a recent report on industrial injuries shows that despite remarkable declines over the last ten years further improvement can be achieved with new approaches which are less expensive, more convenient, and truly ubiquitous. The question arises, however, as to whether these available technologies are really feasible in terms of accuracy, usability, cost, and ubiquity. In fact, our analysis of numerous theoretical approaches has revealed several shortcomings in their actual use, especially in harsh industrial environments. In this paper we present the requirements for a large-area industrial location tracking system for improving occupational safety. We discuss current research and evaluate how well these systems meet crucial requirements.